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Show Sports The Daily Utah Chronicle - Page Twelve U.'. skiers Newcomer sparks Each year, the University of Utah ski coaches labor to recruit the strongest team possible. And each year, they take some chances. - ; This year was no different. : grabbing Australia's second ranked cross country skier, Mark Gray, for competition in the NCAA. As Skiing director Pat Miller explains it, "We stuck our heads out a little." Utah's coaches picked up Gray without knowing much about him. The only aquaintance they had made with Gray was a short one during a 1985 cross country competition in Australia. science major maintains. "In Australia, we have to train off Mark Gray hundredths of a second behind the leader. "We're pleased with situation is good,, even though it's an individual sport," , he-kee- At the same time, the team's unity was something that the during Australia's summer months, '; contender for the national title." ; "I was looking for him to be in Gray sent a letter to Watson and Miller requesting the chance to ski the top four of Utah skiers" for the U. Watson mentioned. "I'd say he's "; ' After looking 'over Gray's done better than expected." "It's difficult to say how he'll do credentials, which included racing in championships, around the as the season progresses. . .He world, junior, and university could finish first in, the NCAA Watson levels, the coaches invited him to championships," ski U. team. rated the join highly predicted. Because of the nature of the Unfortunately, Gray would not be able to come to Utah until Dec. 1, sport, the finishers are divided by well after the team had formed and only fractions of a second. It's grown together through practice, .. hard,, therefore, to estimate and just- - four weeks before finishing positions.' "He'll certainly finish in the top ten," Watson competition would open. Since joining the team, the assured. Watson is one who knows.- - He junior has "placed in the races. two debut three his Hans Marting Sjulstad to coached in top In the season opener held Dec. winning the 10K classic race in 30-3- 1 at Jeremy Ranch, the 1989's NCAA championship, as Melbourne, Australia, native lost to well as guiding all four women on Colorado's Per Jakobsen by only that year's team to All American five tenths of a second in the 10K honors. classic race. In the 15K freestyle Watson explained that,recruiting race, the results were even closer. is often risky because- - thfy'll often Gray placed third, but only three get skiers who think they cari . : latecoming Gray had to fight. "A newcomer into any team is a bit difficult, especially once friends have been made oh the team." Gray didn't find it as hard to fit in as some might, due partly to the fact that, as Miller explains, "He's exceptionally easy to get along with." Gray found the U. easier to get accustomed to than he expected. The NCAA DALLAS (APJ voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to "We either take this action for ourselves or we'll have it done for make public each school's us" said Texas Christian graduation rate for athletes University Chancellor Bill Tucker, beginning next year. With only a' "If it's done for us, it will be done handful of dissenters, delegates tous." also agreed that schools must give This latest action at the 84th graduation rates to prospective annual NCAA Convention comes athletes during recruiting. The on the heols of another significant NCAA has been under pressure move. Monday delegates voted 1 to rescind the from Congress, 'which "is considering legislation to force the controversial Proposition 42, a release of the rates. measure that would, have toughened athletic scholarship . requirements in the fall. Prop 42 would have denied any kind of aid to partial qualifiers of . Prop 48, which allows such athletes to receive scholarship aid their freshman year as long as the same aid is available to However, under the new ruling, need-base- d ! 258-66-- , , non-athlete- . s, partial qualifiers are not eligible for athletic scholarships. Before Prop 42, they could receive such. The reviews of the top stories of the decade in the various media outlets has been overdone during the past few weeks. It seems every publication and television station has had to get its two bits in as to the bests and worsts of the '80s. While the idea has grown a little tiresome of late, one publication is a must for sports fans. The National Sports Review is published annually Debacles recounted include the Sooner Schooner drawing a 15-yar- d unsportsmanlike conduct against Oklahoma in the 1985 Orange Bowl and Jimmy Connors' getting sued by his fan xlub in 1984. Who can 'forget when Jim McMahon showed his apprehensive. "Still," Gray admits, "I feel like a freshman." Gray is training for competition this weekend in Jeremy Ranch. "This weekend I'll get a glimpse of what the competition is going to be like," Gray anticipated. He'll ski the 10K classical race on Friday and the 20K freestyle on Saturday. "I'd like to think that I could be in the top five, finishers is both events." votes to make graduation rates public " side of sports. The size of the university and notions of America had Gray 22-year-- Magazine lends a return to '80s anecdotes, quotes and lists of the year. But the 1989 version contains the aforementioned for the entire decade of the '80s. Besides naming Wayne Gretzky as the top male athlete and Martina Navratilova as the No. 1 female athlete of the decade and reminiscening about the top events over the years, The Sports Review has a sense of humor, showing the human think that training in a team his LOREN JORGENSEN containing the best stories, snow. Here, I can ski every day." Gray feels that the U. team's uniformity aids in competition. "I While looking overpossible accomplishments so far," Miller up, he'll be a ways to continue his training, stated. "If NCAA -- coast on past success and no longer have to train. "Mark Gray isn't like that. He doesn't take it for granted that he'll do well)." One of the major reasons Gray wanted to ski for Utah was the fact that he can continue his training year round in hopes of competing m the 1992 Olympics. "My goal is to ski in the Olympic Games," Gray announced. "My chances of winning a medal are slim to none." "I think the training here is good because I'm able to spend a lot more time on snow here than in Australia," the exercise and sport By Dustin Morris Chronicle Sports Writer One gamble that already has started to pay big dividends is Wednesday. January 10, 1990 in college at Clemson. Perry was obviously confused after the Tigers were placed on a two-ye- ar television probation by the NCAA in 1983. "What makes it hard is that we can't watch television for two years," Perry said. Tommy Lasorda, the L.A. Dodgers' manager, was accused by his wife in 1986 of loving baseball more than her. "Yeah," Lasorda retorted, "but I love you than more and football basketball." How reassuring! The Giants' Lawrence Taylor, one of the greatest if not the greatest linebacker of all time, was asked where he would go if he could take a ride in a time machine. "I'd probably go back to the time Jayne Kennedy was a virgin. That might be going back a long way,though," Taylor ' : claimed. While the better side of sports is shown most prominently, the Sports Review shows the darker side as well. One entire page is filled up with a list of more than - 200 athletes who had been involved with one of the major problems in sport and the world in general substance abuse. The list includes those who had end to been jailed, detoxified, tarnished hurting rear inquiring . a in those who have died even journalists helicopter during . and to the 1986 Super during the '80s due to practice prior Bowl? drugalcohol abuse. Among The excuse-make- r of the those listed is the U.'s own decade may well have been Raphael Septien, the former kicker for the Dallas Cowboys. From claiming that the grass was "too tall" to claiming "my helmet swas too j tight and it was squeezing my brain," Septien was never at a loss to explain a missed kick. His best excuse ever? He once took holder, Danny White, "You placed the ball upside down." Sports has some wonderful characters from Yogi Berra to Bob Uecker to Howard Cosell to the Jazz's own Frank Layden. One of Martel Black, who "is now serving time for dealing cocaine, and former UTEP hoop star Jeep Jackson, who died with cocaine in his system. Other sports hall-of-sha- entires included racist comments by both CBS oddsmaker Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder and Dodger executive Al Campanis, causing both to lose their jobs. Pete Rose had one of the greatest moments in sports history when he broke Ty Cobbs' seemingly unbreakable e hits record in 1985, only to be involved in one of the the biggest sports characters game's bleakest moments when of '80s the William' was he was banned from baseball due (literally) "the Refrigerator" Perry of the to his gambling habits. Whatever the sport or Chicago Bears. While the Fridge became a national hero as the whatever the story, The National Sports Review has it overweight defensive lineman, who moonlighted in Walter covered. It is an entertaining 128 Payton's backfield in 1985, one of pages down memory lane of the the best quotes of the decade good, the bad and the ugly in came from him while he was still athletics during the past decade. all-tim- Basketball Bids For Burgers At B & D Fast Times star leads fast break :. . to the dawning of a new edition to the Chronicle Basketball Bids for Burgers at B & D. Yes sir, now hoop fans, who may have felt left out by the fun gridiron enthusiasts enjoyed with Pigskin Picks, now have a game of their own. The rules are very simple just pick the winners of the ten selected basketball games and as a tiebreaker, guess the total number of points to be scored in Saturday's game in the Huntsman Center. The winner of our HI' contest will win dinner for two at B & D Burgers (222 So. 13th East). Remember only one person can win and if you don't enter if won't be you. As with Pigskin Picks, the Chrony staff has amassed a panel of experts, complete with a guest picker to aid its readers in making their selections. The first ever hoop panel will consist of sports editor Dirk Facer, assistant sports editor Loren Jorgensen along with the sports writers Jim Burton and Dustin Morris. And with the dubious Basketball Bids guest picker, the panel honor of being the first-evsought after and received the services of a real Hollywood movie star Scott Thomson. Despite starring as Officer Copeland in Police Academy 1,3&4 and making guest appearances on Star Trek The Next Generation, Hunter, T.J. Hooker and Fantasy Island, Thomson is best known for his role as Arnold in the best movie ever made Fast s '' Times at Ridgemont High. .' "It's quite an honor," Thomson said. "And I'm sure Oscar Meyer will win." Sorry Scott we're playing for burgers not hot dogs. Regardless, we just hope "you have a helluva pick'ems anyway Arnold." Thanks for participating. Bids are due at the Chronicle offices (240 Union Building) by 5 p.m. Thursday. So get off your butt and enter today. This week's games (Thursday & Saturday) Hawaii at Air Force SDSU at Wyoming New Mexico at Utah Welcome Utah-UTE- P er r ' at BYU at Utah SDSU at Air Force Facer 0-- 0 Hawaii Jorgensen 0-- 0 Hawaii Burton 0-- 0 "Arnold" 0-- 0 0-- 0 Hawaii Hawaii Air Your Pick 0-- 0 Force Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming Utah Utah Utah Utah Utah BYU UTEP Utah Air Force New Mexico at BYU Hawaii at Colo. State UTEP SDSU N.M. CSU CSU UTEP UTEP SDSU N.M. CSU Jazz at Mavericks Spurs at Knicks Jazz Knicks Jazz Knicks Mavs Knicks UTEP UTEP Morris BYU . ' UTEP UTEP SDSU UTEP SDSU BYU BYU CSU CSU Jazz Jazz Knicks Spurs BYU Name Phone TIE BREAKER UTEP at UTAH (Saturday) .. |
